89.3 WFPL News Reporter and Midday Host Devin Katayama has been awarded the annual Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Now in its 13th year, the prize is named for the respected NPR senior news analyst and veteran Washington journalist Daniel Schorr, who died in 2010.
The $5,000 Schorr Prize, funded by Jim and Nancy Bildner, salutes a new generation of public radio journalists 35 years old and under, seeking to inspire them to stretch the boundaries of the medium.
Katayama's winning entry, "At Risk," is a memorable hour-long exploration of the fragile prospects for children in Louisville living amid poverty, drug use, depression, anger and dysfunction - and the local and state social services professionals who struggle to help them find pathways to achievement through a labyrinth of support systems. The series was the capstone of "The Next Louisville," a project focusing on education issues in the city of Louisville.
"It was unlike anything WFPL had ever produced before," Katayama said. "The community response was overwhelming...'At Risk' isn't over. The children still face these challenges. The school system - like most large urban areas - is still trying to solve some of these puzzles. And we are continuing to follow their progress."
Kevin Klose, the former president of NPR and former Washington Post correspondent in Moscow, served as the finalist judge for this year's award.
"In my long experience in news, this is surely the most impressive group of finalists for a competitive journalism prize I have ever encountered," said Klose. "Each has unique strengths of conception and production; all are to be commended for their superb work."
Katayama will be presented with the award at the WBUR Gala taking place Monday, May 18, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, Mass. An annual benefit for the public radio station, the gala is expected to raise more than $500,000 in support for independent news and programming.
Listen to Katayama's award-winning entry, "At Risk," onlinehere.
